NFL News: Teary Farewell, Axed Coaches Mar Season Finale

There were a lot of things to look forward to in the NFL season finale, but not all were something to cheer about. Two coaches got the ax, while one defensive tackle played his final game after 13 seasons.

Coach Dirk Koetter already had an inkling of what would happen once the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrapped up their season. In a little over three hours after the Bucs bowed to the Atlanta Falcons, the 59-year-old was given the pink slip.

It formally ends his three-year ties with Tampa Bay, something that started in 2015 as an offensive coordinator to being promoted to head coach in 2016. He did kick off his tenure with a 9-7 record, but he faltered a bit in the succeeding years with consecutive 5-11 finishes, NFL.com reported. Tampa Bay has missed the playoffs for 11 seasons, and the next coach will have his hands full trying to break that jinx.

For Koetter, it was something that he saw coming. "If this is the last one for me, I appreciate the opportunity they gave me. It's awesome to be a head football coach in the NFL. Coaching in the NFL period is awesome. It's the best of the best," he said.

Joining Koetter in the NFL unemployment list is Todd Bowles. The New York Jets announced the decision via social media, putting an end to weeks of speculation on his ties with the team.

“After carefully evaluating the situation, I have concluded that this is the right direction for the organization to take. I would like to wish Todd, Taneka and their family only the best,” Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said.

Retained was Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, who will now be tasked to look for a suitable replacement for Bowles. The 55-year-old Bowles leaves the Jets with a 24-40 record in four seasons, capped by a forgettable 38-3 loss to the New England Patriots. He is the first Jets coach to be at the helm for at least three years and not make the playoffs once, the NY Post noted.

Other than coaches, Kyle Williams of the Buffalo Bills formally closed the final chapter on his 13-year NFL career. The defensive tackle ended up in tears as he entered the field for the last time with his wife, Jill, and their five children standing beside his teammates.

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Williams said. "I get past the goalposts and I see my family and I lost it. I'm fairly certain that that's the first time I've openly boo-hooed inside the cage of a football helmet. And it will be the last, so first and last happened today. Just grateful, grateful for everything."

The Bills trashed the Miami Dolphins in Williams' farewell game. He capped the day by circling the field to greet and say goodbye to the fans, many of whom wore his no. 95 jersey.